Bad luck and good food in Atlantic City

A.J. MandelbaumA beautiful (but unprofitable) day on the Atlantic City Boardwalk.

Every couple of months, I get the itch to do some gambling. The only way to scratch it is by heading down the Garden State Parkway to Atlantic City. Well, I got the itch this week, so I took a trip to New Jersey's own Sin City to scratch it. My destination was Bally's, with which I have a love-hate relationship. I love it when I win and hate it when I lose. After my experience there yesterday, I'm back to hating it.

The day started out promising enough. I got to the casino with a wad of cash in my pocket and a dream of striking it rich. Well, that dream was soon crushed when I sat at a blackjack table. It seemed like each time I won a hand, I would lose the next two hands. With that kind of luck, I was done in less than 10 minutes. Hoping that a change of scenery and game would help, I walked over to Caesars and put some money down on the roulette table. Though I started off strong, things quickly turned and I was out of money. Well, I should say that I was almost out of money. With one lonely $20 bill in my wallet, I was faced with a dilemma: spend my last amount of cash on food, or take my chances and hope to hit the jackpot on a slot machine?

I chose the former and made my way to top level of the Pier. I went straight to Piazza di Giorgio Cafe, which is apparently Italian for "fancy convenience store." For those who haven't been there, the place offers a wide selection of soups, salads, and sandwiches as well as Mexican and Asian items and a cheesesteak bar.

As luck would have it (and I desperately need some kind of luck at this point), they were having a special three-course meal for only $9.95. The deal included soup or salad, one of the many entrees and two side dishes, and dessert - a choice of jello and a variety of puddings (chocolate, vanilla, or rice). The meal was cheap and filling and helped lift my spirits a bit after losing at the casino.

After eating, it was time for the long drive home. So I took that walk of shame back through the casino to get to the parking garage, using all of my self-control to keep me from going back to the ATM machine and gambling some more.

As I made my way back up the Parkway, I swore to myself that I won't come back to Atlantic City any time soon. Well...at least not until I get bitten by that gambling bug again. Which, given my history, should be only a few weeks. And you can bet (pun intended) that I'll be sharing the experiences of my next trip right here on NJ.com!